Job Search Strategy: Invest in continuing education

Monday

Aug 12, 2013 at 2:00 AM

There may come a time in your career when you are at the crossroads of what I call educational discovery. There are many who graduated from college or at least high school and never considered formal education again.

David Dirks

There may come a time in your career when you are at the crossroads of what I call educational discovery. There are many who graduated from college or at least high school and never considered formal education again.

Given how fast almost every career field changes and evolves, it's amazing so many people never think that a regular educational refreshing or even an overhaul is necessary.

Why let more decades go by before you realize that your next job search is going to be made that much harder? If you're well into your career, the reality is that you'll be competing with those who have taken the time and care to invest in education. And it is an investment.

Before you start investigating college programs or other educational options, you need to ask yourself some basic questions. Here are a few of the ones I consider the most important for people who are 10 to 15 years — or more — into their careers:

--What skill sets are employers in my field looking for now and into the future?

You have to invest time and effort to keep up with what's happening in your field, beyond just cursory reading. One way to find out is to review top-tier college curriculums in your field on a regular basis. What courses or trends to you see? How does that stack up to your knowledge and skill base?

Pay attention to employer requirements for posted positions. This sounds obvious, but I'm often surprised at how job candidates gloss over the requirements (technical or otherwise), hoping that what they do offer will suffice instead. I'm still amazed at the number of people who apply for positions for which they have no professional qualifications.

-- Am I shutting myself out of a lifelong journey of education?

You have to be mentally prepared and positioned to look at continuing education as a life and career booster. Too often we find a range of excuses to deny ourselves the opportunity of pursuing knowledge and skills. Education isn't the turf of just youth. You can own it, too.

--What educational experiences have the most value in my field?

Educational experiences come in all shapes and sizes, both formal and informal. Seminars, workshops, certifications and advanced degrees all have different values to different employers. You have to do your homework to find out which ones offer you the biggest bang for your educational investment. If employers don't place a value on it, it will do little for you from a marketing point of view.

Seek counsel from those who are on the cutting edge in your field. This isn't the time to be shy. There are plenty of people in your field who are on top of their game and can provide you with insights on what knowledge and skill sets are going to be most desirable over the next five years.

Identifying the cutting-edge knowledge and skills needed in your career field combined with your commitment to making a continual educational investment in yourself is a win. Anything less will just increase your chances of sitting on the sidelines during a job search.

-- David Dirks is the author of "Job Search Marketing: Finding Job Opportunities in Any Economy." You can find more information on his job search strategies at jobsearchmarketing.net and by listening to his podcasts at blogtalkradio.com/jobsearchmarketing.